Scary Story

My sister Reagan forwarded me this link which is apparently going around Facebook. As little girls, Reagan and I shared a room and often stayed up late talking. Could that possibly translate into all the texting we do now? Anyway, I laughed so hard at the story and the pictures, Brent told me to quiet down. I had him read it and he got a good chuckle too.

There's a tiny bit of language, be forewarned!

Bring Your Kids to Work Day

As it is the day before Thanksgiving, the girls wore their pumpkin
sweaters. They're a veritable pumpkin patch!

Decorating hats. I think Liesel's an
up-and-coming "Happy Painter".

The girls had a rare opportunity to follow Dad around for a day. I think they envy his commute, as a train ride is much more exciting than being cramped into the backseat of a sedan. Brent's co-workers couldn't have been kinder. He tells me he received multiple offers to take the girls... permanently! He really enjoyed showing them off.

What did I do with a morning sans kids? I headed down to the Mag Mile for a little shopping. I ate brunch at the Oak Tree Restaurant alone which once upon a time would have made me self conscious. At this stage of my life, I just stared out the window and relished some quiet contemplation. No book, no bb, nothing to distract me from my own thoughts. Oh my, it was a piece of heaven on earth! I scouted out some of the stores I've been aching to see. Feeling bold, I stopped in at Jimmy Choo, Tiffany's and Burberry. 


Ireland got to work right away.
See? All the mail is delivered!

When I got back to Brent's work, the girls had found a little compadre and the 3 were running around squealing. They absolutely did NOT want to leave!  The promise of another train ride was enough to lure them away. Ireland fell asleep the instant we sat down, exhausted from all the excitement. Liesel chatted endlessly with her new friend (who happened to ride the same train). It was a magical day for all.

Turkey Trot

Those doing the 10K had red numbers while those just doing a
5K had black numbers.

Immediately following my mud run I swore I'd never do anything so sadistic again. But the siren call of a race managed to creep it's way into my brain and I became determined to sign up for a Turkey Trot. To up the ante, I opted for the 10K and began training for the longer distance. Ever supportive, Brent gave me two thumbs up and time in the evening to run. Per usual, I came down with a horrible head cold the week before the run. I could hardly breathe and my left ear was completely plugged. Misery, pure misery. I skipped out on running and went to bed early hoping it would go away. It didn't completely dissipate, but I was functional on the morning of my run.



Liesel discovered the coziest place to be was inside Grandpa's coat.

The course was set up so that everyone ran the first 5K together and there were no wave starts. As we headed up the trail, it was apparent I wouldn't be getting my best time with this run. Many places were narrow and well, it was difficult to run around the people dressed as turkeys! Some random kids decided to join in the fun and would go from running to a dead stop. I experienced at least half a dozen near-misses. Finally all the 5K-ers pealed off at their finish line. My mom and Brent were waiting to cheer me on at the start of the second half which bolstered my confidence tremendously. Once I was in the woods again, everything quieted. At last I was able to find a good pace and truly enjoy my run.


My biggest fan!

All of my training has been indoor on a treadmill which I still prefer to running outdoors. Coping with the cold weather and the last vestiges of my head cold was definitely a challenge. My time was actually within 5 minutes of the 10K I'd done on the treadmill the week before. In the time it took me to finish the 5K portion, some people had done the whole 10K. On the other hand, just 5 minutes before I crossed the finish line for my 10K, the last large group of people finished the 5K. Of course I wish I hadn't been sick and the course had been easier to navigate, but I'm SO glad I did it!

Recently a friend told me about the Chicago Santa Hustle and I was tempted to sign up. Yes it's in freezing weather but it's only a 5K and everyone gets Santa gear to run in! Doesn't that sound like fun? Well, after doing the Turkey Trot I've decided I'm finished running races this year.  My knees could use the rest!
 

With the finish line in sight...